Karnataka BJP MLA faces prospect of arrest in murder case after HC declines bail

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday declined anticipatory bail to BJP MLA BA Basavaraja (Byrathi Basavaraj) in the case of murder of Shivaprakash alias Bikla Shiva, a rowdy-sheeter, in Bengaluru in July last year.

Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav passed the order, rejecting the petition filed by the former BJP minister. The order has led to the cancellation of interim anticipatory bail the court had granted him in December.

The lawmaker, who represents KR Puram in the assembly, now faces the prospect of arrest by the police with the latest development.


The Bengaluru Police had named him among several people as accused in the FIR on charges of conspiracy and murder. He, however, moved the high court praying for quashing of the FIR. The court, however, directed the police not to take coercive action against him, protecting him from arrest.

The criminal investigation department (CID), which later took over the probe, invoked the provisions of the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA), 2000, on all the accused persons. The BJP MLA moved the high court challenging the CID's charges. In December, the court quashed the CID invoking the KCOCA against the MLA.

A special court in Bengaluru had, in December, rejected Basavaraja's request for an anticipatory bail.